The great comments you left after reading my post about driving a Mustang convertible got me thinking. Maybe Chicago Public radio would be interested in airing a piece about my 80 mph experience.
Most commentators read their public radio essays.
But that doesn’t work for me. I can read Braille, but I’m very slow. So Joe DeCeault, one of my favorite producers, puts me in front of a microphone, asks me what my essay was about, and I retell the story. Joe refers to my printed essay while we record, which was especially helpful for this car-driving piece. Anyone who has been around me in the past month knows how I can go on and on and on about that Mustang I drove –using my written piece as a guide, Joe cut me off when I gushed over race car driver Tommy Kendall too much. He interrupted if he found something I’d forgotten to mention.
“Tell me about your sister’s 1967 Mustang,” he’d say. Or, “What did they tell you during the safety drill before your ride?”
The resulting radio piece is, in my humble opinion, a joy to listen to. The folks I worked with during my drive in Phoenix sent some sound clips from the event– Joe wove them into the piece. He used some priceless rock ‘n’ roll tunes in the background, too.
Joe’s sound-bit magic brought me right back behind the wheel again. In the driver’s seat. The piece aired this morning on Chicago Public Radio’s 848 show. If you missed it, you can take a listen online. Just be sure to buckle your seat belt first.
That's Tommy Kendall behind the wheel before we headed out and switched places. It was over 100 degrees in Arizona, but he was cool as a cucumber. Thanks to Tommy, at 80 mph, so was I. (Photo by Mike Maez, M2 Autophoto)
I LOVED it!!! You are such a great story teller, Beth. Even though I had already read about this, I felt my heart flutter with excitement when I listened to you tell the story.
See you soon!
Thanks for the story! It was one thing reading it, but being able to listen to the screaching of the tires makes you feel like you’re in the car!
Beth – The story was great. I loved the music, too, and it sounds like you may have driven better in this mustang than you did when we used to drive around in high school! (just kidding….maybe).
Hmm, Laura. When we were first married (and Beth still had her sight), I remember her driving skills as…unrefined. But I’m afraid I wasn’t as cool as Tommy Kendall in the passenger seat. So maybe it was me.
Boy that must have been fun! You sounded like you were smiling as you told the story. I also loved the music and how it fit the story so well. I suppose Mustang Sally was a no-brainer . . .
Yeah, but ending with the theme song from “Speed Racer”? Now *that* was genius!
And as for Laura and Mike –you guys are being wayyyyy too diplomatic here. I really was a terrible driver – my sister Cheryl (of 1967 lime green Mustang fame) tells of praying for her children’s lives whenever they got in the car with me. My niece Janet was only 6 when I got my license; she still recalls that every drive with Aunt Beth was an “adventure.”
But hey, I never got in an accident – except for that time I was backing out of the driveway and slammed into the house.
Hi Beth, it was a fantastic piece. The sound effects from the car itself made it all the better. The music selections fit perfectly. Deffinately, when the tires were screaching on the track using the music behind that sound bit, and deffinately agree that ending with the theme from speed racer made a perfect end to a really well-done piece.
I feel I must make it clear when I was praying for my children’s safe return while Aunt Beth was driving them around on their “adventure” that the Mustang was loooong gone. I’m sure Beth must have been driving some big old car by then that I thought the kids might be better protected in on their “adventure”. By the way I listened to the Chicago Public Radio piece out here in Washington on the computer and I was so impressed. I loved reading the story but hearing you tell the story was a hundred times better. I agree with the others the the music really added to the story. Enjoy Printers Row this weekend.
awesome post beth!
i’m not sure i’ll make it down there in time tomorrow. 🙁
Hope it goes well!
Hey Beth- I’m in NC with Bob so good luck today. I’ve been wondering how the driving went and the piece was so much fun to hear. So we’ll have to get together so you can tell me about the donuts
Hi Beth.
I’ve just given your blog and posts about driving the mustang a mention on my blog. The radio piece was great.
Jen
Beth
I fully expect to see you driving down Michigan Avenue alone.
Luv
Ida
Ida, trust me – if you *ever* see me speeding down Michigan Avenue, you’d better duck and cover!
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